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Threads: Nuclear War Drama Gets New TV Series to Traumatise More Kids

Threads, the legendary and traumatising 1984 BBC TV movie about the nuclear apocalypse, is getting remade as a brand-new TV series.

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Article Summary

  • Iconic 1984 film Threads, a harrowing nuclear war drama, gets a TV reboot to traumatise a new generation.
  • Produced by Warp Films, the series aims to explore modern relevance and the devastating impact of nuclear conflict.
  • Barry Hines and Mick Jackson's original film left a lasting mark and influenced global nuclear policy.
  • With new adaptations, resilience and connection are highlighted amidst the looming threat of apocalypse.

The legendary 1984 BBC TV movie Threads is getting remade into a new TV series to traumatise a new generation of kids about nuclear war. Ever since its first broadcast Threads became one of the most significant and influential commissions ever seen on the BBC. When the drama aired on CNN in 1985, it was rumoured, along with the parallel 1983 American network ABC miniseries The Day After, to have changed President Reagan's nuclear policy, and to date, it has only been seen on UK TV screens three times. So disturbing is the screenplay that special permission from the highest editorial levels at the BBC is required for any TV screening. So… yay?

Threads: Nuclear War Drama Gets New TV Series to Traumatise More Kids
"Threads" poster art: BBC

Threads was written by the late Barry Hines, who wrote the classic Ken Loach movie Kes and is still remembered by everyone who saw it when it was broadcast on the BBC. Warp Films, which produced Netflix's topical hit Adolescence, announced it will be turning the BBC's pivotal TV film into a series. For those unfamiliar, Threads depicted the devastating effects of a fictional nuclear apocalypse. The director was Mick Jackson, who went on to direct the Whitney Houston–Kevin Costner hit thriller The Bodyguard. No nuclear bomb goes off in that movie. Go figure.

Mark Herbert, founder and chief exec of Warp, said: "Threads was, and remains, an unflinchingly honest drama that imagines the devastating effects of nuclear conflict on ordinary people. This story aligns perfectly with our ethos of telling powerful, grounded narratives that deeply connect with audiences. Reimagining this classic film as a TV drama gives us a unique opportunity to explore its modern relevance."

Emily Feller, chief creative officer and exec producer, added: "This adaptation will allow us to uncover fresh interpretations in light of today's world. We imagine highlighting how resilience and connection can offer hope even in the most challenging of times. Through this lens, an adaptation of the incredible film can reexamine its significance for then and for now – allowing us to engage with a modern audience."

Threads is considered "one of the most depressing and scary films ever made" and currently streaming on the BBC iPlayer in the UK only, and available on UK Blu-Ray. Aren't you looking forward to a TV series version that runs for weeks instead of just a one-off movie about the nuclear apocalypse in your life?

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Adi TantimedhAbout Adi Tantimedh

Adi Tantimedh is a filmmaker, screenwriter and novelist. He wrote radio plays for the BBC Radio, “JLA: Age of Wonder” for DC Comics, “Blackshirt” for Moonstone Books, and “La Muse” for Big Head Press. Most recently, he wrote “Her Nightly Embrace”, “Her Beautiful Monster” and “Her Fugitive Heart”, a trilogy of novels featuring a British-Indian private eye published by Atria Books, a division Simon & Schuster.
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